IELTS/TOEFL Practice Test

Which Test Do You Actually Need?

Most students ask which test is easier. The better question is which one your universities accept and which format suits how you think. Both tests measure the same four skills and both are accepted almost everywhere, so the decision rarely turns on difficulty.

Check the requirement on each programme page before you book. Some universities accept only one of the two, some accept PTE or Duolingo as well, and a few require a minimum in every section rather than an overall score — which is the requirement that catches people out.

What Score Do You Need?

Requirements vary by country, university and course, and a competitive score is usually higher than the minimum. These are typical ranges rather than rules, so confirm yours on the official page.

How to Use the Practice Above

1. Reading — practise with the clock runningThe passages here are full length, 700 to 800 words, like the real test. Start the 20-minute timer before you begin, because the exam tests locating information under pressure rather than comprehension alone. Reading comfortably and scoring well are different skills. 20 min per passage
2. Writing — write first, get feedback secondDraft the full response before asking for feedback. Reading the AI comments before writing teaches you to write for the AI rather than for an examiner. 20 min Task 1 · 40 min Task 2
3. Vocabulary — revisit the words you missedThe words here come from the academic vocabulary that recurs across IELTS reading and writing. Getting one right once is not learning it; seeing it three times across a fortnight is. 10 min daily
4. Grammar — read the explanation, not just the scoreThe explanation under each answer is the part that changes your writing band. Note the rules you keep missing and apply them deliberately in your next essay. 15 min per set
5. Speaking — record yourself and listen backGenerate a cue card, take one minute of notes, then speak for two minutes into your phone. Listening to your own recording is uncomfortable and more useful than any other speaking practice. 1 min prep · 2 min speak

What the Writing Examiner Is Actually Marking

IELTS writing is scored on four equally weighted criteria, and students lose marks in predictable places.

Two mechanical rules cost more marks than anything else. Write at least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for Task 2, because falling short brings an automatic penalty. And spend your time proportionally: Task 2 carries twice the weight of Task 1, so it deserves forty of your sixty minutes.

Reading: Why Time, Not Vocabulary, Is the Problem

Students who read English comfortably still run out of time, because the test is designed that way. Forty questions across three passages in sixty minutes leaves no room to read each passage properly twice.

The technique that helps most is reading the questions before the passage, then scanning for the specific information each one needs. Questions generally follow the order of the passage, so once you locate the answer to question three, question four sits below it rather than above.

True, False and Not Given questions cause more damage than any other type, and almost always for the same reason: candidates choose False when the correct answer is Not Given. False means the passage states the opposite. Not Given means the passage does not address the point at all. What you know about the world is irrelevant — only what the passage states counts.

Finally, transfer answers to the answer sheet as you go. Reading has no extra transfer time, unlike Listening, and candidates lose real marks every session by running out of time with answers still in the question booklet.

Speaking: What Changes a Band

Part 2 gives you a cue card, one minute to prepare and up to two minutes to speak. The most common failure is stopping after forty seconds. Examiners cannot assess fluency from a short answer, so use the preparation minute to note four or five points rather than full sentences, and keep going until you are stopped.

Fluency in this test means speaking at a natural pace with coherent development, not speaking quickly. Hesitating to find a precise word is normal and does not damage your score; long silences and constant self-correction do.

Accent is not assessed. Pronunciation is, but the criterion is whether you are easily understood, not whether you sound British or American. Candidates who try to change their accent usually become harder to follow, not easier.

Preparing on a Budget

Test fees are substantial, so the single most valuable thing you can do is sit the test once and pass rather than twice. Give yourself six to eight weeks of consistent preparation before booking.

Official practice material from the test provider is the most accurate resource available, and some of it is free. Free preparation, including everything on this page, is useful for building skill and spotting weaknesses. It cannot replicate official marking, so use free tools for practice and official materials for calibration.

Consider whether you need the test at all. Several universities waive the requirement when your previous degree was taught fully in English, and our MOI certificate generator produces the wording most institutions accept for that exemption. Check your own programme page before paying a test fee, because the exemption is easy to miss and worth a great deal.

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